This Low-Carb Eggplant Lasagna recipe is made with eggplant slices. There is not pasta or lasagna noodles, which makes it perfect for those who are following a low-carb or gluten-free diet. It’s absolutely delicious, too!
I love making lasagna without traditional noodles. Instead, I always make it with zucchini or eggplant slices, like this Zucchini Lasagna Roll Recipe, Slow Cooker Zucchini Lasagna, and Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna Skillet. Almost every month, I make my Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna for my husband, but since he doesn’t like eggplant (and refuses to eat it!), it’s been a while since I’ve made lasagna using eggplant. Even though I like eggplant, I really don’t enjoy cooking only for me.
A few weeks ago, my husband was traveling for work, and my mom came to visit us in Canada for three weeks. We were buying groceries when she saw eggplants and said: “Can we buy them, and make eggplant lasagna?” I couldn’t believe my ears. OMG, I’ll finally be able to make eggplant lasagna again!! That’s awesome! So, we bought the eggplants, made this low-carb eggplant lasagna, and enjoyed it all week.
Ingredients to Make Eggplant Lasagna
- Eggplants — sliced 1/8″ thick, I used my mandoline to create perfect eggplant slices.
- Coarse salt — I use the salt to help pull the moisture out of the eggplant slices.
- Part-skim ricotta — I love using ricotta for this lasagna. Feel free to use regular ricotta if you prefer.
- Egg — This helps bind everything together.
- Parmesan cheese — I like to grate my own parmesan as it melts better. Be sure to save some parmesan to sprinkle on top
- Homemade tomato sauce — or your favourite marinara sauce. Feel free to use store-bought sauce to save time.
- Part-skim mozzarella cheese — I recommend shredding your own cheese as it melts better than pre-shredded cheese which usually has a coating on it.
- Parsley — for garnish!
How to Make Eggplant Lasagna
Prepare eggplant:
- First things first, preheat your oven to 375°F!
- Next, slice your eggplant up into 1/8th inch thick pieces. I highly recommend using a mandoline to create thin, even slices.
- Sprinkle both sides of each slice with coarse salt to help draw out excess moisture. Let them sit for about 10 minutes and then pat both sides dry with a paper towel.
Grill eggplant slices:
- Place a grill pan on the stovetop and cook eggplant slices for 3 minutes. Flip and cook 3 minutes longer! I didn’t brush the slices of eggplant with olive oil, but if you prefer, you totally can do it.
Prepare filling:
- Grab a medium sized mixing bowl. Add cheeses and one large egg to the bowl and stir everything together.
Assemble and bake:
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- Start by spreading some tomato sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish, this will help to prevent sticking.
- Add eggplant “noodles” and cover them with ricotta mixture. Repeat until ingredients are used up.
- Top lasagna with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer. Check if the eggplant “noodles” are tender and enjoy!
Serve:
- Let your lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes (if you can wait 20, that’s even better)! This will give the casserole time to set.
- Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley and cut into pieces. Serve and enjoy!
This gluten-free lasagna is very flavourful and perfect if you are on a low-carb or gluten-free diet. The best part of this low-carb eggplant lasagna is that it’s so good that you won’t even miss the noodles. Even if you are a carb lover, you will enjoy having this eggplant lasagna for dinner with your family.
Recipe tips
- If you do not need this to be vegetarian, you can try using my homemade Instant Pot meat sauce instead of tomato sauce.
- If you’d like to make this eggplant lasagna ahead of time, you can follow all of the instructions but instead of baking it, wrap it up tightly to store in the fridge for up to a day ahead of time. Leave it on the counter for a couple of minutes before baking. Alternatively, you can roast the eggplant and prepare the filling 1 day in advance. Keep them refrigerated in separate airtight containers and then assemble the lasagna the next day.
- The reason we let the eggplant lasagna rest for 10 minutes is so the lasagna can set. This way, when you cut into it, the eggplant lasagna does not fall apart before getting on your plate!
- Feel free to change up the cheese! Make this spicier with some Pepper Jack cheese, Habanero Cheddar Cheese, and more!
Got extra eggplant? Try this Eggplant Pizza Bites Recipe!
How to store eggplant lasagna
- To Store: Allow leftovers to cool and tightly wrap your casserole dish with foil or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you don’t want to place the whole baking dish in the refrigerator, you can also transfer leftovers to an airtight food-storage container.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the entire lasagna once it’s been baked. Simply wrap your casserole dish tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze pieces individually in containers.
- To Reheat: Reheat leftover lasagna in the microwave or bake at 300°F until warmed through completely.
Tips: Avoid watery or soggy lasagna
- First, sprinkle some coarse salt on top of the eggplant slices.
- Second, set it aside for about 10 minutes.
- Third, pat them with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture and the coarse salt.
- Finally, grill the slices for about 3 minutes per side. This is the most important step. It keeps the lasagna nice and firm.
I promise you that if you follow these four tips your Low-carb Eggplant Lasagna will be very flavourful and not very watery. Please, do not skip these four steps before assembling the lasagna.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eggplant’s skin is thin, soft, and edible. This means you do not have to peel it before using it!
You may have cut into it too quickly. Give your lasagna plenty of time to rest/set before diving in, at least 10-20 minutes! Also, it’s extremely important to remove moisture from your eggplant slices before assembling lasagna. To do this, sprinkle coarse salt on each slice to draw out moisture and dry them well with a paper towel. Then, use a grill pan to cook slices on the stovetop before creating your lasagna layers.
I am a huge fan of using my mandoline to make eggplant lasagna! It’s the fastest and easiest way to create thin, even slices for your layered casserole.
Raw eggplant is similar in texture to mushrooms or zucchini and it has a hint of bitter flavor. Once cooked, the texture becomes much softer. Overall, eggplant has a very mild taste and it will absorb flavors from the ingredients you cook it with.
Absolutely! You can add meat to this lasagna if you’re not looking to make a vegetarian dish. I sometimes enjoy mixing browned ground beef or turkey into my tomato sauce.
More veggie noodles recipes to try:
- 4-Ingredient Chicken Zucchini Rolls: This recipe is a healthy dinner for the entire family. It’s very easy to make, healthy, gluten-free, and low-carb. But best of all, it’s so D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
- Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna: Replace traditional noodles with low-carb zucchini noodles and make this amazing healthy meal for your family.
- Low-carb Chicken Zucchini Enchilada: This recipe is made with “zucchini tortillas” and is loaded with enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese.
- Vegetable Lasagna Roll-ups: This is such a fun recipe that I’m sure your whole family will love this recipe.
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Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants sliced 1/8″ thick (I used my mandoline to create perfect eggplant slices.)
- coarse salt
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese save some to sprinkle on top
- 4 cups homemade tomato sauce or your favourite sauce
- 16 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a clean surface.
- Sprinkle the slices with coarse salt, and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the excess moisture and salt with a paper towel.
- In a grill pan, place the eggplant slices, and grill for about 3 minutes per side. Please, don't skip the steps 2 and 3. They are very important to avoid the lasagna becoming too soupy.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and an egg. Stir well.
- In a casserole dish, spread some tomato sauce on the bottom. Place 5 or 6 eggplant slices on top to cover the sauce.
- Spread some of the ricotta cheese mixture over the eggplant slices, and top with the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used.
- Top with the sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Bake 40 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.
Tips
- Add meat to your tomato sauce, if desired. This Instant Pot meat sauce recipe is fabulous!
- You can make this lasagna a day ahead of time. Follow instructions but stop short of baking. Wrap casserole dish tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight, then rest on the countertop for a few minutes prior to baking.
- Be sure to let your dish rest before serving. This will help prevent watery lasagna.
- Feel free to experiment with different cheeses.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Susie Ford says
This was a perfect low carb dish. I made this and a big pan of regular lasagna as well and many folks kept coming back for more of the eggplant dish. Delightful!
Olivia says
It’s so good that we don’t even realize this dish is low-carb 😉
Susie Ford says
Amazingly delicious! I will make this often.
Olivia says
That’s awesome. Happy to hear that 😉
Judy T says
Great recipe. Delicious. I made this as directed, with the following small tweaks…I broiled the eggplant 3-4 minutes per side instead of using a grill pan… I baked the lasagna at 350 for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered since I used my toaster oven. It wasn’t salty (I really was careful about wiping off all the salt and water with paper towel) and it stayed together on the plate. I have diabetes so this was a perfect way for me to enjoy lasagna without all the carbs. Thanks! This is a keeper.
Olivia says
thanks a lot foe your comment. Yes, when you are wiping off all the salt you just need to be careful and it won’t be salty at all. Happy to hear you enjoy this recipe 😉
Belinda M says
i am not a cook. Fast and frozen foods were part of our busy everyday lives. But I am trying to be healthy and actually start cooking. I came across your blog and browsed your recipes. This lasagna was my first attempt. Halfway through I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But I followed your instructions carefully and WOW. It was tasty, and My husband loved it. It was not soggy at all. I have never cooked an eggplant in my life. Your instructions were easy to follow. Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Olivia says
That’s absolutely awesome. So happy to hear that. Thanks for your lovely feedback 😉
Kristi Johnson says
Can you make the night before and bake the day of?
Olivia says
I’m not sure since I’ve neve made it the night before but if you make it please let me know how it turned out. thanks
Kim Brown says
Worth the effort to salt the eggplant and then broiled it – seemed like it would be quicker than the grill pan method. I used my mandoline and cut the eggplant at 1/8 inch but I might want to try 1/4 because it seemed like mine melted away. But delicious combo of cheeses, sauce and I added 1lb of grass fed burger to make it a one dish wonder.
Olivia says
So happy to hear that!
Carole says
Im attempting to make this lasagne but im following keto and ten g carbs per serving is a lot. Anyway to cut the carbs down? Thnx
Olivia says
yes, you can cut half of the tomato sauce.
Sonia Kuczynski says
Hi Everyone, I used My Homemade Meat Sauce and I omitted the salt on the Eggplant , if yu Buy smaller Eggplant is is less Bitter and no need to salt the slices and pat them dy. I floured the Eggplant Slices and But them in 3 Beaten Eggs and Fried them a on both sides and drained on Paper Towels and then placed them in My Pyrex, I omitted the Ricotta Cheese as I
and My Husband do not like the Ricotta Cheese, I just replaced with Shredded Mozzarella on each Layer of Eggplant Slices
and Meat Sauce and topped the last Layer with shredded Mozzarella and Baked it for 1 Hour. The Secret is not to slice the Eggplant to thick and it will be Perfect and YUMMY>
Delicious Recipe and Tasty too.
Olivia says
So happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for stopping by and for leaving this message 😉
tintucthethao247 says
After the covid season, I am gaining weight wildly. Thank you for sharing these delicious dishes that reduce calories very effectively
Olivia says
You’re welcome!
Terri says
Is it possible to get nutrition facts for recipes?
Olivia says
All recipes from Primavera Kitchen have nutrition facts on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Thanks